Early in the 2009 influenza A H1N1 pandemic obese patients comprised a surprisingly high percentage of serious infections for reasons that could not be immediately explained. Obesity was an independent risk factor for the flu infected, increasing the likelihood of hospitalization,…
As novel influenza A virus (H7N9) continues to emerge in China there is a cluster suggesting human-to-human transmission may have occurred, an epidemiologist at the World Health Organization reports. “We had one confirmation in the very sad case of the…
As of April 15, a total of 60 patients have been laboratory-confirmed with a novel influenza A(H7N9) virus in China and there have been 13 deaths. So far, there is no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission, but more than…
Hospitals can get an immediate boost in health care worker vaccination coverage with mandatory influenza immunization policies. But before implementing a mandate, employers must answer an important question: Who will get an exemption? A mandate without exemptions is a legal…
In light of recent media reports of more workers being fired for refusing to be vaccinated against influenza, I recalled the rather no-nonsense view of veteran vaccine science advocate Paul Offit, MD, chief of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital…
The effectiveness of the current influenza vaccine is 62% and covers about 90% of the circulating virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Unfortunately, the very groups at greatest risk of flu infection also are less likely to mount…
Given that concerns and myths about the safety of the seasonal flu vaccine have persisted for decades among members of the public and even health care workers, it is worth noting that an exhaustive influenza report concluded that “the currently…
Influenza transmission is beginning early for the 2012-2013 season, but the vaccine appears to be strong match with about 90% of circulating virus, said Thomas Frieden, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This year’s strains…
Bring science back into the discussion of influenza vaccination. That is the essential message of a controversial report on flu vaccination by the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. While…
Flu immunization of health care workers in long term care settings is as much an exception as the rule, with roughly half of those caring for elderly residents unvaccinated against seasonal virus, according to a web-based survey by the Centers for…